CONFIDENTIAL
47
Note of Meeting between Lord Shepherd
and Members of Parliament
on Night Work for Women in Hong Kong
Thursday, 19 March, 1970
PRESENT:
Lord Shepherd
R
Jusmir to th Kinnar for on
in the Chair
Mr. Ernest Thornton, M.P.
Mr. John Rankin, M.P.
Mr. Robert Howarth, M.P.
(c) on 31
Mr. Laird, Hong Kong Department
Mr. Foggon, Overseas Labour Adviser
Mr. Spendlove, Hong Kong Department
нау
The Minister invited Mr. Thornton to speak.
Mr. Thornton said that he was concerned about conditions of work
in Hong Kong. He agreed that wages were good compared with the level
in the rest of Asia except Japan, but conditions were very poor and
the new measures now taken to facilitate the employment of women on
night shift were retrogressive and likely to open the door to
practices which could not be contained. It was possible to
represent them as compatible with present thinking in the UK, but
to do so was to overlook the fact that social consciousness in
Hong Kong was one hundred years behind that in Britain. The weak Factory Inspectorate would be unable to enforce the conditions laid
down.
The Minister made the following points :
(a)
There was no reason for complacency, but progress was
being made in the legislative field, and conditions were
certainly improving.
(6) We had to influence the Hong Kong Government by persuasion;
we had no power to dictate policy. We had been consulted
about the proposal to allow women on night shift and the
conditions of employment we had suggested had been accepted
by the Hong Kong authorities.
CONFIDENTIAL
/ (c)